LEGION

LEGION

And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Mk.5:2-5

It had been a long time since he had experienced peace of any kind. All he could remember was abuse, anger, and darkness, the kind of darkness that overpowers every part of your life. All he wanted was to get rid of this pain. he really didn’t care how. Multiple times he had tried to end his life with no success. Then he turned his hostility and frustration on others until he was put out of town. All he had known for months were chains, bitterness, and pain. Of course there were the “others” like him, these were the only voices he had heard for months, but they were of no help. Their misery seemed to just amplify his own. Death couldn’t come soon enough.
Then the day of all days came. He saw a boat approaching with a number of men, and like usual, he began to turn his hatred upon them. But this was different than all the others that he had terrified, especially the One they called Jesus. “Their was no fear in Him. It was as if something, or someone, inside of me recognized this man,” the Gadarene thought. Suddenly, that something was speaking out of him, “Are you the Holy One of God coming to torment us before our time?” Then he heard that voice, “Come out of him”.
Suddenly, everything changed. The fear was gone, the anger was gone, all the hatred was gone, he was a new man. Then he saw Him, I mean really saw Him for the first time. This Jesus was more than a miracle worker, He is life itself. Now he knew why he couldn’t die, the Lord had plans for his life. Next, he was on his knees asking if he could go with Him. “Stay here and tell everyone what the Lord has done for you”, Jesus said. And that is exactly what he did.
Like the man from Gadara, maybe you are hiding in darkness. There is a reason you are still here. God has a plan, a good plan. Listen carefully, maybe today is the day He will call your name.